


Where the Love Light Gleams

by lawofavgs



Category: Pitch (TV 2016)
Genre: Christmas AU, F/M, Hallmark AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-01
Updated: 2016-12-19
Packaged: 2018-09-03 11:42:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8711296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lawofavgs/pseuds/lawofavgs
Summary: Ginny Baker, trying to get to her boyfriend’s house for Christmas, gets stranded when a blizzard shuts down the roads. Stuck at the one lodge in the area, she meets grumpy owner Mike Lawson, newly-divorced and not in the mood for Christmas, or customers. [Somewhat prompt from Tumblr: a Bawson Hallmark Christmas AU]





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Look, you can blame the Bawson fam on Tumblr for...whatever this is.

This is not good.

Ginny drives slowly, taking extra care in her small car as she makes her way through a blizzard. An honest to God blizzard. Weather like this makes her miss North Carolina. Weather like this makes her think she should have stayed in Texas or taken that job in San Diego. She’s just not built for the cold.

But, when she interned in New York, met Trevor Davis and fell in love, heading back south didn’t even seem like an option. 6 months in and she felt like a normal person for the first time in forever. Decent enough job, tiny apartment, good partner.

Maybe that’s why she’s risking her life driving through this disaster, because good girlfriends make insane trips to meet their boyfriend’s parents. Never mind her unease at driving, mind always flitting back to the car accident when she was 17. One minute her dad was sitting in the driver’s seat next to her, the next he wasn’t. Bad weather always made her grip the steering wheel that much harder, breathe that much shakier.

The snow is falling in big, heavy flakes, the sun having set over an hour ago. She just wants to make it out of the wilderness. She wants to know that if she skids off the road, she won’t freeze to death waiting for help to arrive. Not like there’s reliable cell service out here.

Ahead, she can see the chasing red and blue lights of a police cruiser and her heart seizes. An accident? Ginny shakes off the chill racing up her spine and increases the heat. In her headlights, beyond the insanely fluffy snowflakes, a cop car is blocking off the road.

She pulls up slowly, rolling down her window as the offier approaches. He’s an older man, probably close to retirement, his slight waddle not something she’s expect from a police officer. “Luongo” is etched across his name plate.

“Evening ma’am. Hell of a night for a drive.” His kind voice soothes her rattled nerves slightly as her fingers loosen on the wheel.

“I think I’ve got another 20 miles to go?” her tone lifts, unsure of her own estimate. She hopes she’s only 20 miles out.

“Well, I’m afraid you won’t be finishing your journey tonight. The road is officially closed, snow drifts up to my bad knees. No way your Civic makes it through.”

Ginny’s head snaps back, looking at the way she came. Snow is quickly accumulating on the road and the idea of turning back is terrifying.

“Will I be able to make it back to civilization?” she asks, trying to sound a hell of a lot calmer than she actually feels. The last thing she needs to deal with is an anxiety attack.

The officer smiles warmly at her. “About five miles back, you’ll see a sign for Lawson’s Lodge. You’ll be able to ride the storm out there.”

Five miles. She can do five miles. She thanks the man before carefully turning on the road, sending a prayer to anyone listening that she doesn’t get stuck and she doesn’t crash. It’s just five miles.

The sign is homemade, nearly invisible in the driving snow. Thankfully, she spots it and pulls down the plowed driveway. The lodge looks like something off of a Christmas card. The snow covers the roof and overhangs, lights beckoning her in. It’s the good kind of rustic and Ginny breathes a sigh of relief.

Walking into the lobby, she takes in the outdoors-y décor, the couches facing the fireplace, the smell of wood in the air.

And the complete lack of people, workers or otherwise.

She walks up to the front desk and looks around for a bell or some other way to summon someone. Silence is all that greets her. She’s tired and stressed from the drive and wants nothing more than to curl up in bed, sleep this terrible day off, and maybe try again tomorrow.

“Hello?” she shouts, annoyance clear in her voice. “Paying customer out here. Can someone check me in or should I just grab a key off the wall and do it myself?”

As she opens her mouth to continue, she startles at the appearance of a man coming out of a backroom. He looks to be about mid-thirties, the beard and flannel he’s wearing making him look like a lumberjack. The frown creasing his forehead makes him look like a cranky lumberjack.

“I need a room,” she explains, watching him stop at the other end of the counter and start rifling through a drawer.

“I heard you.” He’s gruff and dismissive, and Ginny almost feels petulant enough to stomp her foot. If this wasn’t the only place to stay for miles, she would be long gone.

“Well? I’m assuming it’s your job to check me in?”

His head snaps towards her, eyes narrowed as he chews his gum aggressively. Stalking over, he pulls out a key and slaps it down on the counter. “Name and credit card.”

Ginny rolls her eyes, pulling the required cards out of her wallet and tapping her foot while he slowly types the information into the computer in front of him. Finally, he slides the cards and key across the counter, not bothering to give her a glance.

“Staircase on your left, your room is the third door on the right. Breakfast served from 6 until 10:30.”

Without so much as a ‘thank you’ or ‘enjoy your stay’, he turns around and lumbers back towards the room he first appeared from. Ginny scoffs, grabbing her suitcase and heading for the stairs. It wasn’t like she needed someone to carry her luggage, but an offer would have been nice.

She follows the directions to her room, opening the door and peaking inside. It’s got a certain charm to it, from its country-esque quilt to the fuzzy carpet covering the wood flooring. The faint, lingering aroma of fire eases her nerves, and she drops heavily on the bed. She has to change into something to sleep in and brush her teeth, but first, Trevor.

She pulls up her “recent calls” list, tapping on his name and waiting a beat.

“Where are you?”

Ginny blows out a sigh. “I’m at some lodge. The road was closed because of the snow, so I’m stuck here for the night.”

“Everyone was looking forward to seeing you tonight Ginny,” he informs her, the edge of disappointment evident in his voice.

“My hands were tied. Besides, it beats being in a ditch somewhere.” Her joke falls on deaf ears as he sighs. “Look, it’s been a long day, I’m going to get some sleep.”

“Ok Ginny. I’m glad you’re ok. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

She hangs up, runs through her bedtime routine before dropping back onto the bed. The mattress isn’t anything to write home about, but the bedding is warm and for now, anything is better than being on that snowy road.

~*~

For someone who’s not really a people person, maybe running a lodge isn’t the best choice of careers for Mike Lawson.

(He was a people person once. Jovial and humorous and easy to befriend. That was before his wife – ex-wife – cheated on him, and definitely before his ex-wife got engaged to the Other Man. That sort of puts a damper on a person’s goodwill towards men.)

For the hundredth time that day, he considers selling the stupid place. There’s always hotel chains sniffing around and making offers. It would be so easy to accept the cash and head for a sunnier climate. He’s sick of snow and cold. Give him a beer and put him on a beach and he’ll be a happy camper (well, as happy as he gets these days).

Maybe he holds onto it because he’s holding onto Rachel. Maybe he’s delusional enough to think she’ll come back to him. Maybe he’s holding onto it out of spite – he’ll run this place successfully as his last big ‘screw you’.

Maybe it just reminds him of happier times.

It certainly doesn’t feel that way around the holidays. Rachel always went nuts, over-decorating the lobby and the dining room. It wasn’t an enjoyment thing, but a décor thing. What the hell had she called it? An aesthetic? To him, it was just pine needles and stray tinsel and sparkles from ornaments.

Besides, Christmas is when families and friends gather together with all their yuletide crap. Mike doesn’t need another reminder of the fact that he’s alone. The empty bed and the tug in his chest are signals enough.

He had always imagined Christmas mornings, a couple of kids happily unwrapping presents stashed under the tree. That memory had faded completely the moment he found out about Rachel’s infidelity. The love of his life was leaving him, what hope was there for a family of his own?

Now all Mike has is his immature lodge staff and a grand total of two real friends in the world. Ho ho ho, Merry freakin’ Christmas.


	2. Chapter 2

By the time the sun starts to rise the next day, Ginny’s stomach is rumbling audibly. She spares a glance out her window, watching the snow continue to fall heavy as she pulls her lip between her teeth. There’s no way the roads will be re-opened while the accumulation continues, heavier than the night before. Her stomach drops as she thinks of another day wasted when she has somewhere to be. 

She makes her way down the stairs slowly, taking in the sights and sounds of the lodge in the early morning hours. A few visitors wander through the lobby and Ginny follows, catching the scent of breakfast in the air. Two men hustle around the dining room, delivering plates to customers while they tease each other about speed and efficiency. 

She drops into a seat, scanning over the menu in front of her. She’d order one of everything if she could.

One of the waiters approaches her table, friendly smile nearly hidden by his beard. She wonders briefly if that’s a local thing or part of the lodge dress code. Lumberjack chic. “Hi, I’m Sal, what can I get for you today?” 

She places her order, watching fondly as the waiter walks away, bumping his co-worker accidentally on purpose. A paper tossing fight breaks out until a man emerges from the kitchen with a stern look on his face. “Salvi, Stubbs, knock it off before Lawson comes in and fires the both of you.”

“Lawson’s fired us at least ten times each Sonny, it’s just a part of our day,” Sal shoots back, giving Stubbs a shoulder bump for good measure.

“Keep standing around like that and I’ll make eleven your unlucky number,” the owner remarks as he breezes behind the two waiters, shaking his head as the younger men jump and mumble apologies.

Ginny braces herself. Her first interaction with Mike Lawson was less than pleasant, giving her no desire for a round two. But unless she wants to sit around her room waiting for the weather to cooperate, she’d have to converse with the owner again.

“Excuse me, Mr. Lawson?”

She watches his shoulders stiffen and square up before he slowly turns her way. His eyebrows shoot up, waiting for her to continue.

“Are there any, I don’t know, activities or something to do here?” she asks, finding herself tensing in response to his body language. Mike lets out a gruff non-laugh before shaking his head.

“Not many things to do with the snow coming down this heavy. There are books in the lobby you can read.” He looks ready to turn and continue on with whatever he was doing when her voice stops him.

“That’s it? Just books to read?”

Trudging back towards her, he crosses his arms over his chest. The annoyance on his face is clear as day. “Look, lady, this isn’t a Carnival cruise ship and I’m not your cruise director. You can read or you can play Solitaire with a deck of cards or you can stare at the wall.”

Ginny rolls her eyes at his retreating back, wondering how many returning guests this grump manages to get with an attitude like that.

As if on cue, a couple come waltzing into the dining room, bundled up against the storm they had just escaped.

“Mike Lawson, you better not be giving your customers a hard time,” the woman mock scolds before throwing her arms around Mike and planting a kiss on his cheek. Her male companion gives him a strong handshake, an affable smile on his face.

“How did you manage to get here? Last I heard you’d need a dog sled to make it down the road.” In an instant, Mike’s demeanor shifts. He actually seems personable. 

“Blip’s stupid 4x4 truck was useful for once.”

The man (Blip) smirks, looking to be on the verge of bragging before the woman shoots him a stern glance that stops him. 

“Besides, you think a little thing like a blizzard is gonna stop Evelyn from making it here for our annual visit?”

“Answer very carefully, Lawson,” Evelyn warns, causing Mike to throw up his hands in mock surrender. The whole exchange fascinates Ginny, seeing the grumpy lodge owner smile and be friendly with people. 

“All right, I’ve got a lot to do with all this snow, but I’ll catch up with you guys later,” Mike says with a smirk, slapping Blip on the shoulder as he heads out of the dining room. The couple look at each other, sharing slightly worried glances.

“He seems…okay?” Blip hesitates. Evelyn rolls her eyes.

“Please. It’s his first Christmas alone. It’s a good thing we visit during the holidays.”

Ginny digests the information and sighs, feeling bad for rushing to judgement about a complete stranger without knowing anything about him. Before long, Sal is putting a plate of blueberry pancakes and bacon down in front of her, giving her another bright smile before heading back to the kitchen.

~*~

Mike’s grateful for the Sanders’ presence, he is. It’s nice to have friends around to distract him from the lodge and the divorce, and he’s lucky that they enjoy spending Christmas with him in the middle of nowhere.

He wonders what will happen when they start having kids. Will the whole brood come down or will that put a stop to the tradition? Pushing the thought away, Mike focuses on the task at hand. The snow is falling faster than he can plow and shovel it away. The last thing he needs is a lawsuit from some idiot who doesn’t know how to navigate the snow and ice. 

It’s a near-pointless task, driving the plow up and down the drive, clearing snow just for it to re-accumulate on the ground. He’s already had cancellations, but at least those are almost negated by stranded travelers needing a place to stay until the roads open again. Mike continues until breakfast is finished being served, electing then to push the task onto Stubbs. He’s got a good workforce, he knows it, but they’re still young and sometimes their immaturity rubs Mike the wrong way.

Lots of things rub Mike the wrong way lately. Specifically, the scene he walks in on when he makes his way back to the front room.

There, head buried in a cardboard box marked “DECORATIONS”, is that guest who checked in last night. Baker, he thinks her name is. The one with the constant eye rolls and the attitude. He grits his teeth, about the launch into a speech about respecting other people’s things when her head pops up. In her hands is a crystal star ornament, meant to be hung over a fireplace mantle. The look on her face stops him cold. Her eyes are huge, full of wonder as she carefully examines the delicate decoration. The smile that spreads over her face throws him a bit, so joyful and easy.

Clearing his throat pointedly, he watches her flinch, turning to him with an almost-guilty look on her face. 

“Sorry, I just found the box and got curious. Why aren’t these out? They’re beautiful.”

He wants to snap. Wants to tell her to leave his stuff alone and to stop snooping. Wants to be mad that she’s bringing out these things he had specifically buried away. The angry words die on his tongue at the look of peace on her face.

Sometimes he forgets, not everyone hates this time of year as much as he does.

Instead, he offers a lame shrug, pulling off his gloves. “Too much work to put them up and take them down for such a short time span. No big deal.”

“I can put them up!” she offers with exuberance, already back to pawing through the box, examining trinkets and bobbles in the light.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“No, seriously, it’ll give me something to do. Better than staring at the wall, right?” Her joke elicits the briefest smile from him before he schools his face again. Lumbering over, he picks up the box and starts to walk away.

“Just…leave it alone.”

He doesn’t need another reminder of Christmas. He also doesn’t need to see the light dim in the pretty girl’s eyes as he shoots down her plan.

Christ, he’s an asshole.

~*~

It’s a bad idea.

Really, what does she care if the decorations get put up? The weather is supposed to clear up the next day. With a little luck, she should be on the road, arriving at the Davis’ house by this time tomorrow. She should just go to sleep. She doesn’t need a distraction anymore.

Despite all that, Ginny pushes on, lugging the box of decorations back into the front hall of the lodge. She gets to work, sipping on the cup of hot chocolate Sonny had graciously provided her with. With Christmas music playing softly from her phone, she begins laying out the ornaments, finding the best place for each one. Within a few hours, she has the room looking like a scene from a cheesy Christmas movie. Garland and lights and shiny bulbs cover the space, bathing everything in a magical glow.

She steps back and admires her handiwork. Damn, maybe if this sports psychology thing doesn’t pan out, she can be an interior decorator. She nearly laughs out loud at the thought. Ginny Baker, Interior Decorator. Nah, definitely not her thing.

The sound of heavy footfalls catches her attention and she whirls around, spotting Mike coming down the stairs with a look of confusion on his face. And, okay, maybe she had planned on escaping the scene of the crime and having plausible deniability in the morning, but that idea was now shot to hell. She’s caught red-handed (literally. Sparkles cover her palms and give her away).

“What the hell is all this?” There is no real malice behind his tone, eyes darting around the room curiously. 

“Look, Mike, decorations don’t belong in boxes. I’ve already talked to Sonny and he said he’ll take everything down after Christmas, so you won’t have to worry about that.”  
She watches him move around the room, large hands touching the ornaments with care. He finally looks back at her with a blank expression on his face.

“Never been a huge fan of the holidays,” he starts, almost mumbling. “My mom and I never stayed in one place too long, so we never had decorations. My ex was the one who collected these ornaments, figured I’d just let her do her thing.”

She feels her chest constrict a little, taken aback by the personal words. She thinks back to what she overheard his friends say earlier. No wonder he seems like such a grump.

The silence stretches out for awhile and a sudden compulsion to offer her own personal story overcomes her. “My dad was crazy invested in coaching baseball. Always thought one of his players was bound for the big leagues. Christmases weren’t too important when there was the all-star travel time for him to worry about. He didn’t even realize my mom was cheating on him for years. When he died, it was like my mom was trying to start over with this new guy. One big freakin’ happy family.”

She finally looks up from the toy soldier in her hands, catching his eye. There’s a look of understanding there, of kinship. 

“Where were you off to before Mother Nature fucked up your plans?”

“Uh, you know, just visiting family about half an hour from here,” she stumbles, offering a shrug. In response, he offers her a warm smile.

“Well, snow should let up tomorrow. You’ll be on your way to your awkward family gathering before you know it.” He turns to leave, stopping briefly at the doorway to look back at her. “Thanks for this. Your listening skills and boundaries are terrible, but thank you.”

She smiles softly at him, shrugging her shoulders like it’s no big deal. “Night, Mike.”

Flicking one of the light bulbs, she shakes her head at the ground. He certainly is a surprise.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning thankfully brings a substantial decrease in snowfall. Pushing the shovel along the steps, Mike is grateful that the end of the stupid storm seems to be in sight. If he has to hear Stubbs mutter about being sore after shoveling one more time, he’ll throw the younger man into a snowbank.

He’d be lying if he said catching sight of the Christmas decorations as he came through the front room didn’t bring a smile to his face. As much as he doesn’t want to admit it, there is something about Baker that intrigues him. One benefit of the blizzard, he guesses, bringing a decent person to his doorstep. Mike hastily pushes the sudden warmth away. She’s a customer passing through, nothing more. Besides, it’s easy to get caught up in the idea of _someone_ during the holidays.

As if his thoughts summoned her, he spots Ginny exiting the lodge. The sight of her pulls a belly laugh from him as he takes in her attire. She’s bundled up in an oversized flannel coat (one of his, he realizes immediately), mittens peaking out from the cuffs. The toque she has on is pulled down over her eyebrows, covering a good portion of her face. At the sound of his laughter, she turns towards him, frowning slightly.

“I was getting cabin fever, and since I clearly didn’t pack for the Arctic, Sal told me where I could find some outdoor gear,” she explains, gesturing to the too-big coat wrapped around her small frame.

“I take it you’re a Southerner?” Propping his shovel up in front of him, he crosses his arms over the handle and leans forward.

“Born and raised in North Carolina, but I moved to New York this past year for work,” she answers, looking utterly ridiculous in her borrowed winter get up. He tries, he really tries not to laugh. But his grin covers his face and the chuckles start to come out. With an unamused huff, Ginny rolls her eyes and stomps down the stairs, waddling slightly under all the material. That doesn’t help curb his laughter.

Leaning over the shovel, he’s stunned at the feel of something hitting him square in the back. The snowball explodes upon impact, sending chunks across the exposed skin of his neck. He whirls around, jaw slack in shock. This woman just threw a snowball at him!

She looks almost worried for a moment, like maybe she crossed a line and went to far. Oh, he’d give her something to worry about. Dropping the shovel, he swooped down quickly to grab a handful of the fresh powder. Her look goes from worry to panic as she shakes her head.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I was kidding!” she exclaims, hands up in defense even as she backs away from him, ready to bolt. Before she gets the chance, he winds up, tosses, and gets her right in the stomach. Her rich laughter greets his ears and the game is officially on.

She holds her own for a while, quick despite being hindered under the coat. He barely recognizes the sound of his own laughter, out of breath and happy with no clue what he’s doing. Once she tries to facewash him, handful of snow in the palm of her mitten, he grabs her arm and sweeps at her leg. They topple to the ground in a heap, chuckling even as they try to catch their breath.

Turning his head to look at her, he’s hit by how close they are. Her face is just a few inches away, leg tangled up with his. He’s not sure if it’s the exertion or something else that has his face flushing and his heart pumping faster.

Sheepishly, she ducks her head, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “Not bad for an old man.”

He gapes, pretending to be offended. “Old man? And here I was, about to offer you hot chocolate.”  
  
“That’s ok,” she replies, finally looking him in the eye again, “Sonny likes me, I’m sure he’ll make me some hot chocolate.”

“Traitors,” Mike mutters under his breath. He’s in no real rush to move, to get up and get away from what’s happening, but the cold of the snow is starting to seep through his clothes. With a groan, he gets to his feet, offering her a hand once he’s upright. “C’mon Baker, I’ll show you what a real hot chocolate is supposed to taste like.”

“Ginny,” she corrects him softly, holding onto his hand and he swears he can feel a spark even through their gloves.

“Ginny. All right, come on, before we freeze.”

~*~

There’s a nagging sensation in the back of her mind. A warning light flickering, trying to get her attention.

She can’t explain the warmth in her chest as she takes off the outerwear, watching Mike disappear through the dining room on his way to the kitchen. Maybe it’s just the contentment of finding a friend to talk to in the middle of such a lonely situation.

She tells herself that over and over as he comes back, a mug in each hand. He jerks his head over towards the fireplace, small smile nearly obscured by his beard.

The scene is almost clichéd, with the fire roaring and the Christmas lights twinkling. She joins him on the couch and accepts one of the mugs.

“If this isn’t the best hot chocolate you’ve ever had, I’ll comp your room,” he promises with a cocky look on his face. And as nice as a free room would be, he’s right. There’s real whipped cream and marshmallows, a sprinkling of cinnamon, and it was definitely made with milk. Humming against the rim, she can’t help the smile as she catches his expectant gaze.

“Ugh, guess I’m paying for my stay,” she sighs dramatically before taking another sip. The way his face lights up hits her just under the ribs. This is not the same grump that checked her in two nights before.

Clearing his throat, Mike turns his attention back to his own mug. “So, what is it you do for a living?”

“Sports psychology. Well, that’s what I’m working towards. I spent my entire childhood around developing athletes and it was just something that interested me,” she answers with a shrug.

“Makes sense, with your dad being a baseball coach. Would you work for one of the professional teams?” His eyes are back on hers, brows raised as he waits for her response. Unknowingly, the question hits a nerve.

“I’ve been contacted by the Padres, they have an open internship that could be a good fit. It’s just…my life is in New York. It’s not easy to just pack up and leave everything behind.” She remembers the disagreement with Trevor, remembers him pointing out that he has a good and stable job in the city and it wouldn’t make sense for them to start over for a low-paying job in San Diego. Rationally, it makes sense, and yet….

“That’s insane,” he remarks, breaking her out of her thoughts. “You don’t turn down a shot with a pro team because of a move.”

That is also a rational argument. Truthfully, she had told the Padres they would have her answer after Christmas, even as she told Trevor that she had turned them down.

Trying to brush it off, Ginny turns the tables. “What about you? What made Mike Lawson buy a lodge in the middle of nowhere?”

He snorts out a laugh before taking a look around the room. Truthfully, the place has an amazing atmosphere. It’s no wonder why someone would want to spend their time here. “I always wanted to get a place in the woods, a cabin or something. Getting this place gave me the chance to live out here and make money while doing it. Not sure if that’s still what I want, but it’s what I’ve got for now.”

The conversation continues to flow easily. Two people, practically strangers, somehow finding no end of topics to discuss. She laughs at his teasing and his smile brightens up his face, hazel eyes twinkling in the firelight. Ginny has never felt like this before, the simplicity and the electric charge all at once.

She’s suddenly aware of their proximity on the couch, bodies angled towards each other. The warm smile on his face is fading slightly as his gaze drops to her lips. She shouldn’t do this. Can’t do this. This isn’t who she is.

Before she can move or blink or breathe, a familiar voice calls out from the lobby. “Hello! Can I get some help?”

Trevor.


	4. Chapter 4

She’s done nothing wrong.

Ginny tells herself that over and over as she jumps to her feet and heads to the lobby ahead of Mike. Nothing happened. She has nothing to feel guilty about.

She doesn’t examine the fact that she needs to keep this mantra going in her mind as she comes face to face with Trevor. He’s got his black coat wrapped tightly around him, looking more stylish than practical.

“Trevor! What are you doing here?” Her voice sounds strained even to her own ears.

“Hello to you, too,” he replies with a grin, stepping into her space and giving her a quick kiss. “The roads opened up a couple hours ago. I called, but you weren’t answering.”

“Oh, yeah, it’s charging in my room,” she gestures vaguely towards the stairs. When Trevor looks over her shoulder, she registers that Mike had followed her into the lobby.

“Checking in?” He’s gruff and unaffected, much closer to being the man she met two nights ago than the one she was just sitting on the couch with.

Doing nothing. That part is important. Nothing was happening.

“No man, thanks. Actually, we’ll be checking out,” Trevor responds with an affable smile.

Ginny’s head snaps up. “Checking out? Now? Shouldn’t we stay the night and wait ‘til morning?”

“Gin, my family’s really looking forward to meeting you. Your visit’s already been shortened because of this.”

“She’s right, you should wait until morning,” Mike cuts in. “Black ice is probably a bitch right now.”

Trevor shoots him a look, face tight. “It’s not that bad. We’ll drive slow.”

“Trevor, come on,” Ginny pleads quietly. The thought of driving in the dark, even with the road cleaned up, wasn’t sitting well with her. Trevor finally looks away from Mike, letting out a sigh before nodding at Ginny. Without a word, he puts his hand on the small of her back, leading her towards the stairs.

She chances a glance back over her shoulder, expecting Mike to be gone. Instead, she’s slammed when her eyes meet his, seeing a brief flicker of something unnameable before he turns away.

 

~*~

 

There’s a sinking feeling in his gut, not unlike how he felt packing his things from the old house. He clatters through the kitchen, dropping the empty hot chocolate mugs onto the counter before running his hand down his face. He tugs on his beard, eyes unfocused on the wall opposite him. He feels like such a fucking idiot. As if a girl like her would want anything to do with him. Why did he have to read into what happened?

The day had been the best one he’s had since the divorce. Horsing around in the snow, relaxing by the fire, laughing and talking like they’d known each other for years. He had felt lighter, freer. The idea of kissing her wasn’t even planned. He just felt himself drawn to her, feeling like his only option was to press his lips against hers.

And then _that guy_ had to walk in.

(He supposes he should be grateful for the timing. It would have been embarrassing to lean in, only to get rejected with pitying eyes on him.)

Maybe he’s a little biased, but the guy seems like a jerk. Mike doesn’t feel the need to explain why, just trusts his gut. The way he expected Ginny to make the drive in the dark like that, unbelievable.

Mike sighs, leaning with his forearms on the counter. It doesn’t matter, does it? It’s not his problem. If they want to leave in the middle of the night to spend a few extra hours with family, that’s their business.

Fuck, he hates the holidays.

 

~*~

 

Ginny watches Trevor move about the room before dropping onto the bed. He bounces a couple times before shooting her a look.

“Yeah, it doesn’t seem comfortable, but I’ve actually slept great on it,” she offers, busying herself by tucking some clothes back into her bag. “Oh, you don’t have an overnight bag.”

“I wasn’t really planning on being here overnight.” His response is a bit tight but she gets it, it’s probably been a long day.

“Well, we can be on the road first thing in the morning. We should have breakfast first though. Sonny makes amazing pancakes.”

“Sonny?”

“One of the guys who works here. Everyone’s been great. The last two days have flown by.” A small smile spreads across her face before she’s realized it. Despite the circumstances, this turned out to be one of the best vacations she’s ever had.

“And those two days, you should have been somewhere else,” he sighs, kicking his shoes off and starting to undress.

Ginny bristles at his comment, arms crossing over her chest defensively. “And how was I supposed to do that, teleportation? The roads were closed, I didn’t have a choice.”  
  
“You could have left home earlier. You knew there was going to be a lot of snow. If you had just left an hour or two earlier….”

“Even if I had left and made it through before the roads closed, the weather was crap. It would have been dangerous,” she shoots back. She hates when he gets like this, his words condescending. “It’s a good thing I made it as far as I did without crashing and that I found a place to stay.”

“You lost two days you were supposed to be spending with me and my family, Ginny. Two and a half by the time we get back there. Instead you were here, lounging around some resort.”

At the end of her patience, Ginny turns on her heel and goes into the bathroom. She uses her pre-bedtime routine as an excuse for space to cool down. By the time she emerges, he’s already laying down, asleep. Or at least pretending. She climbs in next to him, facing the other way. It’s not fair, getting blamed for the past couple days. She’s done nothing wrong.

She’s done nothing wrong.

 

~*~

 

As much as he rags on them, Mike’s employees aren’t complete idiots for the most part. They read him relatively quickly and steer clear of their brooding boss. Salvi and Sonny dodge and weave and keep their heads down. Sonny looks at him with knowing eyes and offers a small nod and nothing more, goes about making breakfast for the guests. Even if they don’t know why he’s moody, they see the storm brewing in his eyes. Self-preservation and all that shit.

The Christmas decorations don’t give him the same joy they did the day before. The holidays can go screw themselves.

It doesn’t take long before he spots Ginny and her…whatever, sitting at one of the tables in silence. He keeps checking his phone while Ginny focuses all of her attention on the plate of blueberry pancakes in front of her. As if she feels his gaze, she looks up, stares him down, makes his heart stutter for a moment. She says something to the guy (who doesn’t even glance up from his cell) before standing and striding over to him.

“Hey, do you think if I sweet talk Sonny, I can get the recipe for the pancakes?” she asks with a hesitant smile on her face.

He huffs humorlessly. “Probably not, no.”

The smile on her face wavers and she sucks in her lips briefly. Her eyes dart around the room, and he has to quash his first instinct to make her feel more comfortable. That’s not his place.

“I just wanted to thank you for…everything. These past few days could have been awful, but I’ve had a lot of fun.” Her voice is soft and warm and all of the things he doesn’t get to enjoy. He grunts out an acknowledgement, not having the words to offer her.

“You and your guy hitting the road?”

She stops short at that, eyes widening slightly. “Oh…um, yeah. Yeah, after breakfast.”

He offers the briefest of nods. His voice is detached as he responds, “Well, thanks for staying. Hope you enjoyed it here.”

He turns on his heel just as the flash of hurt crosses her face. He’s got enough to deal with on his own, he doesn’t have it in him to deal with hers, too.

 

~*~

 

Ginny finds herself back on the couch in front of the fireplace, flames long since diminished. With Trevor on a business call back in her room, she knows she’ll be waiting for awhile. Unfortunately, that gives her time and silence to think.

Think about why she’s feeling guilty. Why it hurt to see Mike shut her out. Why the idea of leaving strikes her deep in her chest.

Her contemplation is interrupted when Mike’s friend – Evelyn, if she remembers correctly, drops onto the couch next to her with a graceful flourish. Extending her hand, she introduces herself, “Evelyn Sanders, nice to meet you!”

Ginny returns the handshake, tries her best to smile. “Ginny Baker.”

Evelyn’s grin turns knowing as she leans in, voice dropping. “So, you and Mike, huh? That’s great. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen him this happy. His ex-wife did a real number on him and it’s nice to see him like this and not pining.”

“What? No, I…,” Ginny sputters, looking around in a panic. “It’s not like that.”

“Oh, come on. My husband and I saw you guys yesterday. Playing around in the snow, hanging out in front of the fire. Trust me, I know when things are ‘like that’ when I see it.” Her confidence is unsettling to Ginny. As if there was no other way to interpret the day before.

“I have a boyfriend,” Ginny offers weakly, the words sounding lame to her own ears. “I just met Mike.”

Evelyn pauses for a moment, mulling over the response before shrugging it off. “The heart wants what it wants. Do you know how long it took me to realize my husband Blip was the guy I wanted to spend my life with? 30 minutes. One conversation with him when he ordered a bacon burger from the concession stand I was working at in college, that’s it. You can’t explain it, it just…happens.”

“That’s crazy,” Ginny scoffs, shaking her head. There’s no way, after spending one day with someone, you could know something like that. That you could fall so fast.

And yet, here she is, thinking about the grumpy lodge owner that makes her laugh like no one ever has.

“Look, you can’t explain fate. Don’t let fear stop you from going after what you want!” With one last knowing smile, Evelyn stands. “It was nice to meet you, Ginny Baker. I hope I see you around.”

Offering a small goodbye, Ginny stares intensely at the empty fireplace. There’s no way. She couldn’t have….

She’s on her feet and heading out of the front room before her brain even registers she’s doing it.

 

~*~

 

Mike chops wood, putting a little more aggression into his swing than he normally would. It’s therapeutic in a way. The sun is out and the grounds around the lodge look beautiful, but he can’t enjoy it. The bitter taste in his mouth won’t leave.

The crunch of boots in snow catches his attention and he spins around, pretending he’s not hoping for a specific person, wrapped up in his too-big flannel jacket.

Pretends he’s not disappointed to see Blip’s smiling face.

“Man, I swear, if you’re not going for the lumberjack look, I’ve got some bad news for you,” Blip jokes, tugging his stylish coat tighter around himself. Always the flashy one, Blip.

Mike grunts, allowing himself one last chop before he buries the axe in the stump. He crosses his arms over his chest and considers his friend of a moment. “Where’s the better half?”

“Oh, you know, around.” The tone in his voice tips his hand, tells Mike that he’s got something up his sleeve. If his head was on straight, he would have tried to figure it out. “I just wanted to say, it’s good to see you smiling again. You’re gonna have to formally introduce us to the girl that wiped that frown off your face.”

The aforementioned frown appears on his face and Mike wishes for something to do. More wood to chop maybe. Anything that would give him something to focus on instead of Blip’s knowing Sherlock look.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“C’mon man, Evelyn saw you guys playing in the snow like teenagers yesterday. Thought she was going to blow my eardrums out with how loudly she screamed. Not to mention the hot cocoa date in front of the fireplace last night. Smooth, by the way. Remind me to teach you some better moves.”

Mike shrugs, focusing on an unknown point in the distance. “It wasn’t a date. It wasn’t anything. She’s just a guest here.”

“I saw you, Mike. You were grinning and laughing. That wasn’t nothing. That was something.”

“She’s got a boyfriend. Did you see that part?” Mike snaps, ready to stalk off and end this conversation.

“No, I didn’t. But so what? If it’s right, you can’t just let it slip away. You know what they say. The good stuff doesn’t come easily,” Blip tells him warmly.

Mike’s eyes snap to Blip’s before he sets his jaw. “Do I look like the guy who breaks up relationships?”

The words register on Blip’s face and he quickly looks apologetic. Rachel’s infidelity will always be a sore spot. “I know you’re not, Mike. All I’m saying is if you feel something, say something. She can make up her own mind what she wants to do with that. If she’d rather be with you than this other guy, it’s her choice.”

He gives Mike one last look, that stupid knowing expression all over his face, before he turns and heads back towards the main building. Thoughts swirl in his head as he eventually follows the same path. Should he do something? Should he risk the rejection, or should he accept never knowing and having to wonder about the what if.

It’s not about the humiliation. If she turns him down, he’ll never see her again anyways. It’s not about the pain. He survived the destruction of his marriage, his pain threshold is pretty high. The what-ifs? That would haunt him.

How did this woman do it? Make him fall so hard, so fast. Make him think about dimpled smiles and rich laughter? He decides, right then, he’s going to say something. He’s going to put himself out there like an idiot and hope for the best.

“Hey boss, phone’s for you.” Salvamini gestures the cordless in his direction, one hand over the receiver.

“Not now, I’m busy.”

“It’s Rachel.”

Mike stops in his tracks, confusion all over his face. Why would she be calling him? Why now? Wordlessly, he grabs the phone from Salvi, wandering back to his office and stopping in front of the desk. His eyes are drawn to the window as he lifts the phone to his ear.

“Hello?”

“Mike, it’s me. Can we talk?” Rachel’s voice comes down the line and it hits him, really hits him. Had this call come a week ago, he would have been clinging to the cordless desperately, praying for a sign that she still loved him and they could give it one more go.

Now? He feels nothing. No hope. No longing. His brain is still too focused on what he’s going to say to Ginny to even think about anything else.

“What’s up? Looking for more of my money?”

The joke doesn’t land. “Mike…David and I broke up.”

“David?” he asks, fully aware of his own pettiness.

“You know who I’m talking about.”

“Oh, right, the guy. Look, Rach….”

“I broke up with him because I miss you.”

“Rachel,” his tone is soft. She may not deserve compassion, but he feels it anyways. They were married for years. Despite what she did, he will always care about her. “I don’t know how you expect me to react here.”

“Well, for starters, excitement might be nice?” She’s quiet but he recognizes her jokes when he hears them.

He laughs warmly. “So, you’re single again and you want me back?”

“It’s not like that. But, I’m guessing from your tone of voice, the answer is no.”

“Okay,” he starts before pausing, running and hand over his face. How the hell does he proceed here?

Rachel cuts in. “Look, Mike, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for what I did, and I’m sorry for dumping this on you now. I just…if there was a chance, I had to try.”

“I know, Rach. I hope you find happiness.”

“You too, Mike. Okay, I think I’ve made enough of a fool of myself here. Goodbye.”

“Bye Rach.” Pressing the end button, Mike looks around his office. In that moment, he knows for sure. Instead of taking the sure thing with Rachel, someone constant and familiar, he’s going to go for the long shot. The Hail Mary. The unknown and unsure and scary as hell.

He’s going to go for Ginny Baker.

 

~*~

 

“Hey Sal, have you seen Mike?” Ginny asks, starting to getting frustrated. She feels like she’s looked everywhere, to no avail.

“Boss man got a call, he went to his office to take it,” he replies while gesturing his head back towards a hallway, looking up only briefly before focusing on the table he was clearing. With a quick thank you, Ginny makes her way in the direction he motioned to.

She can’t believe she’s doing this. She’s never been this impulsive. This is not in her nature. Since her dad died, every move she’s made has been calculated. Every choice she makes, she has to think about. There is no room to step off the path. This isn’t just stepping off the path. This is jumping off the path into a ravine.

She’s going to tell someone she’s only known for 3 days that she’s fallen for him – hard – and then she’ll go from there.

Rounding the corner, she spies Mike in an office at the end of the hall. His back is turned to her, and she can see he’s still on the phone. Approaching him, she decides to wait until he’s hung up, gives herself a little time to plan what she’s going to say.

“So, you’re single again and you want me back?” His words stop her dead in her tracks. Suddenly, she remembers what Evelyn had told her earlier, about Mike’s ex wife and his pining.

“Okay.”

With that one word, Ginny’s heart drops. She feels so stupid, thinking there was something there. Something worth risking everything for.

She turns quickly, heading back the way she came. She needs to get back to her room, get her stuff, and check out.

She needs to forget the past few days ever happened.


	5. Chapter 5

After hanging up the phone, Mike is more sure of what he’s about to do than he’s ever been about anything. He’s not letting fear or uncertainty stop him from going up to Ginny and telling her how he feels. He’s not going to lose this strange, intense connection because of past hurts or even rational thought.

Step one is finding her and getting her alone. That may prove tricky, but he’s up for the task. Maybe he can call up to her room, ask her to come to the front desk, tell a white lie about a problem with her credit card.

“Hey boss, woman in room 7 was looking for you. Did you see her?” Salvi asks as he rounds the corner with a garbage bag over his shoulder. Mike stops short, forehead wrinkling in confusion. Ginny was looking for him?

“No. When was this?”

“About 15 minutes ago? I sent her back to your office.” With that, Salvi hoists the garbage bag higher and continues on his way. Why was she looking for him? Why didn’t she find him?

Resolve courses through him as he makes his way to the front desk, offering Stubbs a quick nod before grabbing the phone and dialing her room number. Six rings and no answer, he hangs up, squinting at the receiver as if it holds the answers. “Stubbs, have you seen Ginny Baker? Room 7?”

“She checked out 5 minutes ago. Seemed like she was in a hurry.”

Mike’s stomach drops, mind racing at how everything has managed to flip on him. What now?

 

~*~

 

Trevor had already packed her bag, so her escape is quick. He barely acknowledges her frantic energy as she tells him she’s ready to go. He mutters a “finally” under his breath as he grabs her luggage and follows her out the door. She’s polite with Stubbs when she checks out, eyes flitting around. She can’t run into Mike, not now.

The road is much better than it was a few nights ago, plowed and salted. She follows the taillights on Trevor’s car and tries to focus. How did she read the situation so wrong? Did they not become close, even over the short period of time? She knows she didn’t imagine the way he looked at her in front of the fire, leaned into her.

And then Trevor came. Could she fault Mike for drawing away? After all that, she heard him on the phone with what she assumed was his ex, and she ran. Of course he’s not going to sulk around and pine for some girl he’s known for three days.

Her mind wanders, thinking of her Dad, thinking of her job and her future, San Diego and Trevor. So much has happened over the last few years. She always made the smart choice, the logical choice. Her current position in New York is logical. Her relationship with Trevor is logical.

Logic didn’t save her father from a car accident.

It doesn’t matter if she makes every correct move in life if it all ends tomorrow. She’s done making sacrifices and not chasing what she wants. She wants to take stupid risks like move across the country for a new job or tell a near stranger that she’s fallen hard for him. She won’t reach the end of her life, whenever that is, with a list of regrets and should-haves.

Pulling over, she grabs her cell with shaky fingers. It takes a couple attempts but she manages to call Trevor. He picks up, his greeting echoed through his car’s Bluetooth system.

“Trevor, I…I can’t come with you,” she stutters out, one hand gripping the steering wheel.

“Gin, what are you talking about? I told my parents we’d be there in an hour.”

She worries her bottom lip between her teeth, unsure of how to do this, and fully aware of how awful it is to do over the phone. “It’s over. Trevor, I’m sorry, but-“

“You’re breaking up with me?” He sounds incredulous. “Gin, come on, we’ll talk about this at my parents’ place.”

“I’m sorry,” she apologizes again. “Merry Christmas, Trevor.”

Pressing the red circle to end the call, Ginny tosses her phone onto the passenger seat. She feels terrible, knows that despite their issues, he probably deserved better than that. But she can’t wait, so she makes a U-turn and heads back in the direction of the lodge. She’s ready to risk her dignity for a shot.

The temperature outside her car begins to drop, ice forming on the road. Ginny doesn’t realize the deteriorating conditions until she hits a particularly bad spot, back end of her vehicle spinning out. Her heart leaps into her throat as she over-corrects and the Honda goes off the road.

 

~*~

 

“Heading out boss?” Sonny asks as he eyes his boss wearily. The lodge is fully booked, and with Livan calling in, they’re already short staffed.

Mike grabs his truck keys from behind the desk, shoving them into his coat pocket and striding towards the door without giving a response. He’s got to find her. He knows where she was headed, maybe he can catch up to her. Maybe he can stop her and tell her that he’s the idiot who fell for a perfect stranger.

He feels the chill in the air but doesn’t give his truck much time to warm up before he pulls out onto the main road. Trying to think of the perfect speech to deliver, he comes up short. How do you put this into words?

‘I know I just met you but I’ve never felt so comfortable around someone.’

‘You don’t even know my middle name but maybe, if you wanted to, you could dump your boyfriend and have dinner with me?’

He nearly turns around a dozen times, thinking he could never articulate what’s going through his head, at least not in a way that would get a positive result. In the end, he’s glad he doesn’t. Up ahead, he sees a pair of headlights reflecting in the ditch. The car is the same one that was in his parking lot for the last three days, that was absent when he took off on this crazy journey.

Pure panic sets in as he eases his truck to the opposite shoulder, throwing it in park before jumping out and running to the incapacitated car. As soon as he reaches it, the driver’s side door wrenches open and Ginny pushes her way out. He’s in front of her in an instant, checking her over for visible injuries.

“What are you doing here?”

He ignores her question, looking into her eyes as if he has any clue how to diagnose a concussion. “Are you hurt?”

“No,” she responds, shaking her head. “I hit a patch of ice and lost control. I just slid into the ditch, that’s it. No impact, just embarrassment.”

He takes in the car’s position and the snowy tracks behind it. It’s facing the opposite direction of her destination. Facing the way back to the lodge.

Back to him?

He wants to make a joke, ask if she forgot something or wanted to grab Sonny’s blueberry pancake recipe, but the words die in his throat. “You.”

“Me what?”

“You asked what I’m doing here. I drove out here for you. I thought I’d catch up to you and…shit, Ginny. I know this is a long shot. I know you have a boyfriend and I know you live in New York but I don’t care. I’m tired of not fighting for what I want.” He runs a hand over his mouth and beard, feeling weary and emotionally-drained.

“But I heard you on the phone. I heard you say you would get back together with…whoever was on the other line?” The pain flashes in her eyes and he wants to pull her to him, but he’s confused.

“I was on the phone with my ex-wife, she wanted to get back together but I said no. I don’t want to try again with her. I want…I want to try with you.” His voice sounds pathetic to his own ears. Ginny though, watching her sadness morph into something else entirely, knocks his breath away.

“I ended things with Trevor. I was turning around to come back, to tell you that I’ve felt more connected to you in a few days than I’ve ever felt with anyone. Am I crazy?”

“Yes,” he replies solemnly, taking a step closer to her and running a hand down her arm. “Yes, you’re crazy. But I’m feeling pretty crazy, too.”

Without another word, he closes the distance. He kisses her, like he wanted to the other night. There’s no fire, no hot chocolate. It’s cold and the air feels like pin pricks on his skin, but it’s perfect. He cups her cheeks, hoping to warm her up even as his lips move against hers.

Breaking apart, he rests his forehead against hers. “Come on, we’ll drive back to the lodge and call for a tow truck.”

He grabs her bag from the car and walks her back to his truck, opening the passenger door for her before making his way to the driver side. She’s sitting there next to him, smiling and beautiful, and he’s never felt so _right_.

 

~*~

 

The second they walk back into the lobby, hand in hand, Ginny’s ear drums nearly burst at the sound of Evelyn’s scream. She’s almost shocked when the woman throws her arms around her tightly before mimicking the action with Mike.

“This is amazing! I’m so happy for you guys!” she exclaims, grabbing Mikes bicep and shaking it. Blip walks up behind her, giving Mike a friendly punch in the shoulder and a nod.

“Now that you guys are both here, there’s something I want to ask,” Mike starts, looking between his friends.

“Oh my God, you guys are going to get marred,” Evelyn shouts, slapping a hand over her mouth in shock. Ginny rolls her eyes.

“Slow down, we literally just got together. He doesn’t even know my birthday,” Ginny replies with a laugh.

“But I do know how much you hate cilantro,” Mike adds, sending her a sidelong smirk.

“So what do you need to ask us, man?” Blip steps in, getting the conversation back on track.

Mike takes in a big breath, squeezing Ginny’s hand reassuringly. “I love this place, but I can’t let it be my life. I’ve been thinking about selling, but I figured if I sold a portion to you guys, made you part owners, I can take some time to myself. I know you were thinking of investing, why not an established lodge with your best friend?”

Evelyn and Blip share a look, seemingly communicating without words. With a quick nod, Evelyn looks back to Mike. “We’re in.”

Dropping Ginny’s hand just long enough to shake Blip’s and hug Evelyn, a huge smile breaks out over Mike’s face.

“We’ll draw up the specifics later. For now, you two enjoy some alone time,” Evelyn says with a pointed raise of her eyebrows before heading off with Blip.

“Stepping away from the lodge, huh?” Ginny asks as she moves closer into Mike’s side. His arm comes up around her shoulders in response. “Got big plans?”

“Well, I just started seeing this girl, and she got an amazing job offer in San Diego with the Padres. Maybe it’s time to enjoy the sun a little.”

Ginny’s heart hammers in her chest, eyes searching his for the seriousness of his response. “Mike….”

“You can’t turn down that offer, Ginny. If that’s the job you want, you have to accept it. You’ve worked hard for this. We’ll figure out the logistics.”

With a watery smile, she wraps her arms around his midsection and buries her face against his chest. “We’ll figure it out. You ready to trade the snow in for sand?”

“No more shoveling? I’m sold. After Christmas, though. Someone went through a lot of trouble setting up the decorations here and it would be rude not to be here to enjoy it.”

Ginny reaches up, running gentle fingers over his beard before tilting her chin up for a kiss. She doesn’t know what’s going to happen or where they’ll end up, but she does know one thing.

_This_? This is good.


End file.
